7. Fair

Ever since Nathan left, our family has been distant. Despite this, the fear of losing me became a main feature in my parents worries, and I was hardly ever out of the house as a result. They worried that I would be snatched too. That I too would become one of the children who "ran away to the circus"

As a direct result, making friends and hanging out with them outside of school became difficlut. In primary school, it was something you could get away with, not going out alone. Once I had started high school, it became a kind of demand that I had to do this though. It was unheard of that I would not accompany a grup of "friends" on the likes of shopping trips and days out, because what teenager didn't? Most of time I was succesful at batting away requests, but on the occasion that Maria approached me, I had no excuse. She told me of the fair, that was travelling with the circus and parade, which had just arrived in the local field beside the park. Enticing me with promises of delicacies like candyfloss and hotdogs, things which we seldom had in town, let alone my house.

My parents took a lot of convincing, but when Alice had a word with them, they allowed it, giving me a curfew of six to avoid the dark and a mobile they assured me was fully charged. In the event of an emergancy, the only saved numbers were theirs and the police to prevent accidentally ringing anybody but them.

The loud music of the fair could be heard from far away, and the flickering lights of rides and shouts and screams gave tell tale signs of the fair being open. People my own age, and several I recognised from my school even, darted past us to get to the fair, some coming, others going.

"We have to go on that!" Maria yelled to me as soon as she spotted what was clearly the biggest and fastest ride. A wooden board was pasted onto the fence surrounding it, which read "Terror, ride if you dare..." In a red paint which appeared to drip effectivley down the peeling white background. I allowed mysef to be dragged on with her, staring up at the rollercoaster apprehennsivley. I often wonder now what would of happened if I hadn't gone on. If I had pointed out the bumper cars, the merry go round or even hook a duck. If I insisted on not going.